PM Modi in Varanasi today, will launch road, power projects

This will be the third visit of the Prime Minister to the ancient temple town after assuming office in May last year. The much-awaited tour comes nearly nine months after his previous trip on December 25 last year. Two of his proposed tours – on June 28 and on July 16 – were cancelled recently because of heavy rainfall.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his Lok Sabha constituency on Friday and launch several power and road sectors projects worth almost Rs 50,000 crore, inaugurate a trauma centre in Banaras Hindu University and address a public meeting.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and governor Ram Naik will receive PM Modi at the airport when he will arrive in Varanasi on a day’s visit. An official spokesperson said the chief minister will leave after that.

This will be the third visit of the Prime Minister to the ancient temple town after assuming office in May last year. The much-awaited tour comes nearly nine months after his previous trip on December 25 last year. Two of his proposed tours – on June 28 and on July 16 – were cancelled recently because of heavy rainfall.

Tight security arrangements have been made in the city and a team of the Special Protection Group (SPG), which is directly responsible for the PM’s safety, arrived in the city on Tuesday and carried out inspections at the two venues that will host the PM.

The SPG has taken over security arrangements at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) and multi-purpose grounds where the PM will address a public meeting.

Large number of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order and control traffic the nearly seven-hour-long tour of the PM. CCTVs have been set up at the pandal from where the PM will address a rally. Four Indian Air Force choppers have also been deployed.

The security forces may face a tough challenge as thousands of beleaguered shiksha mitras or contractual teachers will meet the Prime Minister.

They are upset over the cancellation of regularisation of their service following a recent judgement of the Allahabad high court, which ruled that the entire exercise being carried out by the Samajwadi Party government in the state was illegal.

Amid reports of three more shiksha mitras dying of heart attack and 26 others taking ill, the Varanasi administration on Thursday succeeded in fixing an appointment of these agitating contractual teachers with PM Modi.

The DM also appealed to the “upset and angry” shiksha mitras to maintain peace.

The BJP, which won 71 out of 78 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Uttar Pradesh last year, is likely to lead an aggressive campaign in the state where it will have to take on the formidable SP alongside Mayawati’s BSP in the assembly polls, which are just a little more than a year away.

Modi’s visit to this eastern UP town, from where the state’s border with Bihar is just about a 100 km away, may also find political resonance in the neighbouring province where assembly elections have been announced.

The Prime Minister is looking forward to lead his party to victory in the state amid a formidable challenge posed by the alliance comprising chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), Lalu Prasad’s RJD and Congress.

PM’s schedule

The PM will lay the foundation of Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) worth Rs 32,612 crore, ring road and Varanasi-Sultanpur four-lane project.